Like a castle, with a reservoir lake below.

The centuries old Grimsel Hospice is located in the midst of a bleak and rocky landscape, on the turquoise waters of an artificial lake. From the former defiant miner's home an extremely elegant hotel emerged after comprehensive renovations, a place made for aesthetes and lovers of nature. With a panoramic lounge, a fireplace lounge, bar, restaurant, seductive wine cellar and cosy rooms that include every possible kind of comfort. This inn, on the Piedmont-Burgundy trade route, was mentioned in documents as early as 1142. Built in 1932 between two dam walls after the old hospice had been flooded, this was the first electrically heated hotel in Europe. Horgen Glarus furniture from the 30's. The stone pine and tower halls testify to the former construction style. The large wine cellar came into being because of the mule trains and is lovingly maintained.

History since 1932

The Hospiz on the Grimsel Pass, first mentioned in 1400, was set up during the Middle Ages as a hostel for poor people hiking over the pass and belonged to the district of Oberhasli. Following an act of arson initiated by the innkeeper in 1852, the building had to be completely rebuilt. Subsequently, complaints about the Hospiz, which was often overcrowded with travelers in the summer, began to mount. The Baedeker travel guide wrote, “the cells are only separated by wooden slats so you can hear the slightest noise even three cells over.” The expansion of the trail to a road fit for traffic, in 1894, came about relatively late compared to other Swiss pass roads and did not result in any major changes to the Hospiz. Extensive structural changes only took place when the large hydropower station was constructed. In 1930, the old Hospiz had to make way for the reservoir. In 1932, as a replacement, the power company erected a new inn on a higher rock outcropping between the two sections of the dam in the midst of a barren rocky landscape. With its massive stepped gable roof and exposed masonry, the hotel presents itself as a human bulwark in a high-alpine landscape. At its opening, the Hospiz made headlines as the first electrically heated hotel in Europe. Following comprehensive renovations between 2008 and 2010, the imposing one-time home for the power plant’s construction workers and miners has been turned into a hotel furnished with exquisite taste. Contemporary Modern now meets the respectfully restored past. The faithfully recreated public rooms, Arvensaal and Turmsaal, with their historic furnishings from the 1930s bear witness to a simpler past. The modern connecting tract and the renovated guest rooms pay heed to the old building, both in terms of materials and style, and expertly complement it. The Grimsel Hospiz has been a member of Swiss Historic Hotels since 2010. (RF)